


Home

by CJ_Quill



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe- David Adopts Max, Canon Compliant, Dadvid is important to me, David adopts Harrison, Family Fluff, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lots of it, Trans Male Character, also no maxvid???? or david with any of the kids???, ambiguous sexualities all across the board, but it is mentioned, he just wants to give his campers good homes, more tags as this goes, nothing graphic, post-canon/speculations, pretty much everyone will show up eventually - Freeform, ya fuckin nasties
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 20:36:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11974560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJ_Quill/pseuds/CJ_Quill
Summary: A collection of connected oneshots starting directly at the end of the proper series' summer, focusing mainly on Max, his adoptive father David, and their "temporary guest" Harrison.Basically Dadvid accidentally adopts Harrison in addition to Max





	1. In Which the Summer Comes to an End

**Author's Note:**

> Something other than DEH? On MY account? Yea I've been binging Camp Camp and I just......needed this.... let David take these kids away from their crappy parents tbh..... 
> 
> Also quick note I picked a random last name for Harrison for convenience so don't get confused.

“Bye, Nikki! I hope we’ll see you next summer!” David called as the pigtailed fireball ran off to join her mother. 

“Have a good school year, you little shit!” Gwen waved. “I hate to admit it, but I'm kinda gonna miss that one.”

“I sure hope she had a good time here.” David looked around. “Now where did the other kiddos go? I can't have them wandering off in their last few minutes of camp!”

David’s question was answered when he caught sight of Max sitting on the steps to the door of the activity center. Harrison sat a few feet off, staring blankly into his top hat as if he were trying to will something to appear inside. They were the only two campers left.

Before David could approach either of the boys, a car pulled its way through the dirt road and made a seemingly hesitant stop a ways away. The doors opened slowly and the Schaffs - Harrison’s parents - stepped out cautiously. Harrison jumped to his feet. He tossed his top hat to the side and ran to greet his parents, who recoiled in fear.

Mrs. Schaff backed into her husband’s arms. Mr. Schaff held his wife tight but kept a careful eye on his son.

“A-are you…. Are you… fixed?” Mr. Schaff asked hesitantly.

“I’ve gotten better! I haven't quite figured out how to, well, bring things  _ back  _ yet, but-” Harrison’s happiness drained as he noticed his parents’ expressions. Unease rapidly filled his core. His hands twitched and flapped at his sides, a huge gust of nervous flames suddenly bursting from his palms.

Mrs. Schaff shrieked in terror and flinched away from the boy. Harrison deflated. Smoke swirled all around him, sparks crackling at his fingertips. As his parents whispered frantically to each other, he trudged back to where he’d been sitting and picked up his hat. He dusted it off and stared at it, hopeless.

“What are you doing, Harrison?” Max huffed from his seat on the steps. “Your parents are here. Go home.”

“Shove off, Max.” Harrison muttered.

“Hey, woah, testy.” Max got to his feet and approached the magician slowly. “What's up with you?” 

“I never figured out how to bring the rabbit back.” 

Max glanced up the road at Harrison’s parents, who were having an assumedly heated argument with David and Gwen. They kept gesturing wildly at their son and accusingly back at the counselors. Beside him still, Harrison stuffed his arm into his hat and pulled it back out, growing further dejected finding himself empty-handed.

“I  _ am  _ the dark force.” Harrison hugged his hat to him tightly.

Max gave Harrison a playful shove. “C’mon, man, you're harmless!”

“Tell that to my brother!” Harrison shouted. “Oh wait, you can’t, because he’s just like the  _ rabbit!” _

The ground rumbled and shook under Harrison’s feet. Max took a few steps back. A few feet away, David also took notice and rushed towards the boys, leaving Gwen to deal with the hysterical Schaffs.

“He’s a  _ kid! Your  _ kid! You can't just leave him at an unoperational camp until you're ready to take care of him!” Gwen was shouting.

“Doing great, Gwen!” David encouraged before hurrying off. “Hey, kiddos, what’s going on over here?” 

“What's going on over  _ there _ ? They don't want me back, do they?” Harrison demanded. 

“Hey now, don't say that,” David knelt down and placed a hand on Harrison’s shoulder. “They're just a little uneasy, that's all.”

“They're terrified of him!” Max cried.

“They just don't understand. But people understood here at Camp Campbell, didn't they, Harrison?” 

“If by understood you mean  _ ego boost,” _

“Be quiet, Max.” 

Harrison nodded, scrubbing at his eyes to keep them dry.

“Harrison, how would you like to stay? Just a little while longer?” 

“ _ Stay? _ ” Max sounded almost offended.

“I'm not talking to you right now, Max!” 

“...I can stay?” The ground beneath them settled at Harrison’s voice.

He sounded so hopeful. He looked so happy. He almost seemed to be shimmering - actually he probably was. David beamed at his enthusiasm.

“Kind of! You can stay with me here in Sleepy Peak. I can enroll you in school and help you with all the magic activities you want. It'll be just like camp, every day, for as long as you want! And whenever you're ready to leave, just say the word and I'll bring you back to your home.”

“...Home,” Harrison looked over at his parents. 

He could feel their fear, even from all the way over here. He turned back to David, whose eyes were shining with sympathy and encouragement and…. Love. Something that had been absent from his own parents’ eyes for years. He was definitely shimmering now, in more ways than one. He practically threw himself at David.

“What are we waiting for, then?” David asked after returning Harrison’s hug. “Why don't you get your last goodbyes before I take you boys home?”

Harrison held onto the hug a little bit longer before slipping away to bid his parents another farewell from a safe distance. They seemed to accept this immediately, returning to their car with barely a wave and speeding away. 

“So.” Max huffed, back beside David. “Him, too?” 

“He's a good kid, Max. Just let me give him this, for a few months. Who knows, having a temporary brother could be nice!”

“Don't you try to impose more family shit on me!” 

“Language, kiddo.” David chuckled and ruffled Max’s hair.

Max put on an irritated face, but it was transparent and did nothing to hide his appreciation for the affection. He couldn't possibly be happier that he wasn't going home with his parents after this summer, or ever again. Even having to keep dealing with magic boy for however much longer didn't bother him as much as he felt the need to let on. 

“Well,” Gwen began, approaching David and Max with Harrison in tow. “That's it, huh? Summer’s over.” 

“I guess it is.” David got to his feet.

“I wish I could say it's been fun, but…” 

“Keep in touch, okay, co-counselor?” David yanked Gwen into a hug. She was stiff for a moment but eventually relaxed and gave David a tight squeeze back.

“Let me know if you need any help running this dump next time around.” Everyone turned to Gwen with identical looks. “What? My track record with job applications probably isn't going to change anytime soon and I doubt you'll be getting anymore funding to pay  _ sane  _ employees with Campbell in Super Guantanamo.” 

The counselors chatted for a while longer before David realized how late it was, how tired the boys had to be, and how far he lived away from the Campbell campgrounds. He gave Gwen one last hug.

“Good luck finding a use for your bullshit majors, Gwen.” Max said, shooting her a middle finger.

“I'll see you around, you little asshole.” Gwen reciprocated the finger and mussed up Max’s hair. “Try not to burn down Sleepy Peak, you two.” 

She waved goodbye and headed off the campsite. David walked the boys to his own car and set them up in the back with their things. He laughed at Max’s snarky comments and marveled at Harrison’s backseat card tricks until they both fell asleep. Once they were back at his house he carried them both to his spare room and put them to bed. 

“Goodnight, Harrison,” He said, pulling the sheets up over the little magician. He moved over to Max, stepping right into one of his split-second hugs. He smiled softly and handed Max his teddy bear. “Sleep tight, Max.” 

David shut off the lights and slipped to the door. He took one last glance at his sleepy campers before leaving, allowing him to just barely catch something he would have missed otherwise. 

Very quiet, very mumbled, from both Max and Harrison, jumbled together enough that David almost wasn't able to make it out.

“Night, Dad…”

_ Almost. _


	2. In Which Harrison Has Night Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The house gave a brief but violent jerk before quickly settling again. Max was thrown to the floor and, down the hall, David found himself shaken awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So people really responded to that first chapter??? I was genuinely not expecting that I'm absolutely baffled. But you guys wanted more and I wanted to write more so.... here's more!

Calm nights and quiet mornings. It was easy to sleep in Sleepy Peak if you liked the quiet, which Harrison did, having grown up in a small town. But even city kids like Max could get used to the silence after spending the summer away from all civilization. And being in a warm, cozy bed again instead of a ratty cot with itchy, hole-ridden blankets was certainly nothing to sneeze at. 

Stars twinkled in the sky out through the window, providing a focus point for the near pitch darkness for Max to keep his eyes on. He wasn't  _ afraid _ of the dark, per say - not to the extent he'd ever admit it, at least. Complete darkness just had a tendency to make him a little uneasy. It wasn't like it mattered, though, there were hardly ever cloudy enough nights to block out the light entirely, and a contented Harrison gave off a soft, golden glow of his own when he slept. There were compromises all around.

Max curled tighter into himself, Mr. Honeynuts squeezed against his chest like a protective plate of armor keeping away whatever lurked in the night. From the corner of his eye he noticed the glow at the other end of the room shift. He rolled to his back, facing the wall across from him where his “temporary brother” lay asleep. Well, presumably. 

All of a sudden Harrison, quiet sleeper that he was, was mumbling to himself. Tossing from side-to-side, muttering nonsense, the glow surrounding him shifting to a harsh, bright white. 

Max sat up. Concern rushed through him.

“Yo, you okay?” He asked. No response. “...Dude?”

Max threw his sheets back and climbed out of bed. He crept cautiously to the other end of the room, his teddy bear still tight in his grip. He kicked the bed frame. Whacked the mattress. Gave Harrison a hard shove. Nothing.

“Harrison.” Max grabbed the thrashing boy’s shoulders and shook him. “Harrison! Wake up, you idiot!” 

“Gaah! Jacob I'm sorry!” Harrison yelled as he came out of whatever night terrors he’d been trapped in.

The house gave a brief but violent jerk before quickly settling again. Max was thrown to the floor and, down the hall, David found himself shaken awake.

“Jesus!” Max sat back up. “The fuck  _ was _ that?!”

“What happened? What's wrong? Is everyone okay?” David stumbled through the door, half-asleep and in a panic. 

He clumsily scooped Max off the floor and set him on his feet. Max swayed on his feet and rubbed his eyes. Harrison sat stiff, knees pulled to his chest, breathing deep and panicked. 

“Looks like Harrison Houdini had a fever dream.” Max remarked.

David knelt down. “What's going on, Harrison?” 

“Nothing! Nothing at all, it's fine!” Harrison assured a little too quickly.

“Don't bullshit, dude.” Max rolled his eyes.

David shot Max a pointed look, then turned to put on a softer one for Harrison. The magician wrapped his arms around himself. The ground seemed to be shaking about the same amount he was. Obviously something  _ was  _ wrong, and being badgered couldn't be helping. David stood and circled the bed.

“If you don't want to talk about it you don't have to,” He began, sitting beside Harrison. “But I don't want you to think you have to  _ pretend _ you're okay. Not when you're with me. Why, Max has come to wake me up after nightmares quite a few times since-”

“No I fucking-” Max started to protest but stopped himself, realizing it wasn't the time. “...Okay, fine, yeah…”

Harrison stared down at his lap for a little bit. Soon he didn't seem quite as shaken anymore. He glanced up at David briefly before squeezing his eyes shut and dropping his head on the counselor’s shoulder. David gave him a squeeze, to which Harrison responded by snuggling up to his side.

“I’ve gotcha, kiddo,” David said. 

Max climbed up onto the mattress and flopped onto his back, over David’s legs. He didn't give any explanation, just shut his eyes and rolled to his side.

“I'm not getting up again tonight, am I?” David asked, smiling.

“Nope.” Max said. “The  _ real _ greatest trick of all.”

“Ta-da,” Harrison murmured.

All the dark energies bothering Harrison suddenly seemed to have a buffer. The ground wasn't shaking anymore. Outside, the stars’ brightness had noticeably been cranked up, shining a soft, comfortable light in through the window. David shifted over a bit, prompting Max to climb over to his other side. 

“I've got you both.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


	3. In Which David and Max Play a Tune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soft strumming of a guitar started to become clear the closer Max got to the back porch. His answer had been found.
> 
> “I’m coming out, David! Don’t shit your hiking pants.” Max warned before sliding the screen door open and stepping through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stand by the headcanon that Max would have signed up for music camp

An orange haze fell over the streets on a cool autumn afternoon. Max jumped off the school bus and walked down the block, heading for the house. Leaves crunched beneath his feet as he walked. He paused every few steps to grind the soles of his shoes into the sidewalk, determined to get the most satisfying crunch possible for his efforts. Further along he stopped to pet a neighbor’s dog who was tied by her leash to a post in the front yard.

“Hey, Jazzy,” Max greeted, scratching the dog behind her ears. “Those tyrants chain you up again, huh?” 

Jazzy wagged her tail and made a failed attempt to jump on Max, restrained by her leash. Max stepped closer and let her lick his face. He cracked a smile, snickering at the tickle of Jazzy’s wet nose against his cheek. He pushed her away gently and knelt down, unzipping his backpack and digging around for something.

A moment or so later he jumped up, brandishing the scissors triumphantly. Max sawed away at the prison leash with the blade until it frayed and snapped and Jazzy ran free. She zoomed from the yard and across the street, disappearing quickly down the block.

“Hell yeah! Fight the power!” Max cheered after her.

He swung his backpack back onto his shoulders and made a break for home, just in case Jazzy’s owners happened to glance outside and see him again. Once he was inside, he threw the front door shut behind him and leaned up against it, just for good measure. He’d cut that dog free quite a few times in the past month. Her owners, understandably, were not big fans of Max. But he wasn’t a big fan of them either, so it all evened out. 

Suddenly taking notice of the unnatural quiet of the house, Max turned the door’s lock and walked slowly towards the family room. He was never home for longer than thirty seconds without David hearing him and running in to barrage him with questions.

“Yo, David!” He shouted. “Where you at?” 

Receiving no answer, Max decided to look around himself. Sure, it was an irritating routine, but routines become habits and when those habits break it’s a little uneasy. Moreso given that Max had only just gotten used to coming home to any attention whatsoever. Even just a person with him at all, but Harrison had accidentally made his seventh grade science class’ volcano project a little too real and was still hanging back at the school trying to fix it. 

So for the moment, Max was alone.

That didn’t last very long, though, as the soft strumming of a guitar started to become clear the closer Max got to the back porch. His answer had been found.

“I’m coming out, David! Don’t shit your hiking pants.” Max warned before sliding the screen door open and stepping through. 

David sat on the edge of the porch with his guitar, strumming a tune and humming along to himself. He glanced back at Max to acknowledge his greeting. Pausing for a moment, he patted the space beside him. Max took a seat. His legs dangled over the ground.

“Heya, Max! How was your day?” David asked, continuing to play.

“Shitty as always,” Max shrugged. “Harrison filled the science hall with lava.”

“Did anyone-”

“Everyone’s  _ fine _ , it was mildly scalding at best.” 

“That’s good.” David strummed a few more notes before stopping. “You want to try?” 

Max glanced at the guitar. “I said I could play the  _ violin,  _ David.” 

“They’re both string instruments, the notes can’t be that different. Give it a shot!”

“Nah,” Max pushed the offered guitar back at David. “Campfire music isn’t my thing. At all.”

“Alright, alright. Go grab the violin you stole from your school’s music room, then. We’ll play together!” 

“I didn’t fucking steal it, I’m  _ borrowing  _ it. And stop looking through my shit.” Max grumbled, but got up and went to fetch the instrument anyway.

David changed his tune. It was mellow and calming, very different than the upbeat twangy strum of the songs he’d attacked the campers’ ears with back at Camp Campbell. In fact, the music was very similar to David himself. He too was more mellow than expected off the campgrounds. He was still  _ David _ , of course - cheerful and optimistic and energetic and entirely too much of a morning person for someone who didn’t drink coffee - but something about the change in scenery had dialed all his obnoxious qualities down a significant amount. 

Music floated through the air. A steady melody, slow in rhythm and sparing in key changes. Gradually, the quivered hum of a violin snuck its way into the stream of the song. Its presence added a certain melancholic drawl to the guitar’s soothing chords. The colors of the song shifted and mixed together, both at odds and yet in total agreement creating a strange harmony. 

Careful not to break concentration for fear of disrupting the music, David stole a short glance at Max and grinned. He managed to catch Max’s eye briefly and earn a smile back.

David’s fingers danced over the guitar strings, picking up the tempo. Caught off guard, Max struggled a second to catch back up but the melody remained strong. Despite his focus on the song, part of Max’s mind began to wander off without his permission back to a certain bright and sunny day with an equally bright and sunny person.

*****

_ “It’s really not as deep a question as you think, Nikki. Nothing about the physical structure of a chair would change - you’d only be kneeling forward instead of sitting on your ass.” Neil said. _

_ “But it’s still freaky to think about! We’d be like kangaroos, wouldn’t that be cool?” Nikki waved her hands in the air to illustrate the sheer wonder of her point. _

_ “Nikki, kangaroos have fundamentally different-!”  _

_ “This is a dumb conversation.” Max cut in. _

_ “Well of fucking course it is, but-!” Neil tried and failed to start again. _

_ “Max!” David swooped into the conversation suddenly. “I hate to interrupt, but I need to talk to you!” _

_ Before he could protest, David grabbed Max by his hood and pulled him off, a significant distance away from any of the other campers and their individual activities. Max stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared up at David expectantly, with his eyebrow raised. _

_ “What do you want?” _

_ “Okay, I know I should have asked you directly first but it was all so sudden and I didn’t have the chance. There’s still finalizations to be done, y’know,  _ legally,  _ so there’s time to back out if you want to-” David spoke a little too quick. _

_ “Get to the point, David!”  _

_ David took a breath and managed to drain the frantic tone from his voice. _

_ “I managed to contact your parents and after a… very long and interesting conversation, they offered to give me full custody.” _

_ “Custody of what?” Max asked. _

_ “Of you, Max.” David knelt down, eye-level with the irritable boy. “Your parents are going to let me adopt you.” _

_ Max froze in place. His mouth hung open, just slightly, and his brow gave a single twitch, but other than that he was motionless. David took this as a cue to keep talking. _

_ “I think your father was kidding at first - he told me if I cared so much about you  _ I _ might as well be your dad. I told him I’d be  _ happy to,  _ since  _ he  _ didn't seem to care at all, so he said I should just take you and then somehow we actually ended up speaking legally and we’ve been emailing through our lawyers, so…” _

_ “David,” Max said, coming back to life. _

_ “Now, it’s up to you! If you’d rather stay with your parents that’s fine, all I want is to give you a second option. I have a nice big guest bedroom in my house that you can live in, there’s a great school-” _

_ “David.” _

_ “I want you to be happy. I want you to be loved and cared for, and if I could provide that for you…” _

_ “Hey, David?”  _

_ “...Yes, Max?” _

_ A brief moment of silence passed before Max stepped forward and threw his arms around David’s neck. Now was David’s turn to freeze in shock. He stayed still a bit, expecting Max to yank away any second, but he didn't. So David hugged back, taking in this moment that he’d previously thought unlikely at all, let alone likely to happen again.  _

_ “Do I take this as a yes, or…?”  _

_ “Thank you.” Max said, squeezing tighter as his answer. “But don't expect me to call you Dad.”  _

_ ***** _

The song continued. The sky streaked a dark pink as the sun began its descent down the mountains, and the music still filled the air. Someone who tried hard enough could almost pluck it straight from the air and store it in a jar. If they could, they would want to. It was just that beautiful.

Out of the corner of his eye Max could just barely spy Jazzy sprinting through the neighborhood. She slowed a bit, as if she was listening, and just as quickly disappeared around the block again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! The response to this has been blowing me away, I'm really so glad people are enjoying my dumb family drabbles <3


	4. In Which Gwen Camper-sits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, thank you Gwen! You’re the best, I promise I’ll repay you, anything you-” David’s exclamation of gratitude was cut off by the “end call” button.
> 
> Gwen tossed her phone to the side and trudged to the bathroom. Obligations were going to be the death of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate chapter title: In Which the Author's Been Sick for the Past 2 Weeks & Takes it Out on the Children

“David?” Gwen woke up to her phone ringing.

“Heyyy, Gwen! Would you mind doing your CBFL a teensy little favor?”

Gwen sighed. She pulled herself out of bed.

“Sure, what’s up?” 

“I've got two sick kiddos over here and if I don't get to the park soon I’ll be late and I  _ really  _ like that job, it's the closest to camp I can get during the school year...” Despite knowing he couldn't see her, Gwen instinctively nodded along as David spoke. “Could you come watch Max and Harrison for me? Pretty please?” 

Gwen glanced at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were crusty with sleep gunk. Her hair was a staticy mess and there was a bit of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth. Hesitantly, she took a quick whiff under her armpit and instantly recoiled.

_ Yikes. _

“Yeah, sure, whatever, just let me shower first.” She muttered.

“Oh, thank you Gwen! You’re the best, I promise I’ll repay you, anything you-” David’s exclamation of gratitude was cut off by the “end call” button.

Gwen tossed her phone to the side and trudged to the bathroom. Obligations were going to be the death of her.

*****

Max was lying facedown on the floor, sprawled out as much as a tiny ten-year-old could be. His main goal was apparently to be as underfoot as possible - be an inconvenience to compensate for feeling like shit. An endless turret of complaints rolled from his general area but were thankfully muffled by his face in the carpet.

Harrison, on the other hand, was bundled up in numerous blankets on the sofa. Despite the layers he shivered. His face was pale, cheeks flushed and slightly green. His eyes squeezed shut, as if he’d been trying to sleep just like that for a while.

“Thank you, Gwen, you’re my hero!” David was shouting directly into his co-counselor’s ear. “I’ll be back later, I love you all, bye!” 

With that the energetic man zoomed out the door, leaving Gwen alone with the ailing boys. She edged further into the house and took an awkward seat on the edge of the sofa.

“So,” She said. “Sick, huh?” 

“Yes,” Harrison groaned. He yanked one of his blankets up over his face.

“Barely,” Max rolled onto his back.

“What’s that mean? You faking?” Gwen leaned forward a bit.

Max responded by hacking up a live rabbit, which hopped a few feet across the floor before vanishing into thin air. Gwen gaped and stared at where the rabbit had been. Max shot Harrison a pointed glower. The magician shrugged weakly.

“I don’t know how to make it go away! And I  _ said  _ I was sorry.”

“You suck, Harrison.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Harrison pulled a small metal trashcan up off the floor to his chest and hid his face in it. It was an act of shame at first, but his flu caught up with him quick. 

Gwen practically ejected off the sofa. She swallowed the urge to retch, too.  _ Cool it, idiot, you’re supposed to take care of them.  _ She forced herself to sit back down and inch slightly closer to Harrison. She reached out cautiously to pat his back, like her mother had done for her when she was sick as a kid.

“Let it all out, buddy,” She said. She took the trashcan and helped him to his feet once he was done. “Go wash up. I’ll clean this out for you.”

Bored and not nearly as sick as his roommate, Max followed Gwen to the kitchen. She washed out the inside of the trashcan in the sink and started scrubbing.

“So what are you doing here?” Max asked, making her jump. 

“David asked me to come.” 

“That doesn't mean shit. You’re an adult, you can do what you want.”

“Who says I don't  _ want _ to be here? Maybe I actually care about you kids a little bit. Ever think of that?”

“Or maybe you owe David a bunch of favors.” Max opened the cupboard and started looking around. He didn’t feel much like eating, but at least he could throw popcorn at Gwen. Maybe Harrison, too, but later.

“Who said it can’t be both?” Gwen shrugged. “You know I camper-sit Space Kid sometimes? His mom barely even pays me. Who knows, maybe I'm just unemployed and desperate for shit to do.”

“Glad to see you're still just as hopeless and pathetic.” 

“I'm holding a garbage can full of soapy puke here, Max, keep that in mind.” Gwen taunted. 

Max snorted and left the kitchen. “All your dreams are worthless!” 

Gwen kept on scrubbing in silence. Why  _ had  _ she come? Other than, yes, owing David a few favors from all the times he’d picked up her slack back at camp. It was surprising even to her, but after the summer had ended Gwen found herself almost missing some of the chaos. Sure, the job was total bullshit and the kids were all little monsters, but every now and then there would be moments that made it almost feel worth it.

Like when they’d hold campfires, and it was all dark in the woods except for the stars and the flame. And across the flickering embers David sat playing his guitar. When as it grew later the campers would grow quieter, and for a little bit it felt like a nice, regular summer camp instead of the immoral, illegal trainwreck it really was. Sometimes one of the kids would fall asleep leaned up against her, so peaceful it was contagious.

Those were the moments Gwen liked. Moments that were well-deserved in an otherwise hellhole of a job. She figured that was why she had come. Whatever she could get that was remotely close to those moments might help her survive the next few weeks of  _ nothing. _

Giving herself a quick shake, Gwen sighed. She rinsed out the trashcan one more time, tucked it under her arm, and filled a glass from the cabinet with tap water. She returned to the living room.

Max sat on his knees on the carpet, gathering up a loose deck of cards he’d presumably just coughed up.

“So is cursing people a normal thing you do, or-?” He was saying to Harrison, who was swaying dizzily at the center of the floor.

“I'm twelve and sick, Max, magic is complicated! If I knew how to undo it I wouldn't even be  _ living  _ here.” Harrison said a little too loud.

Gwen set the trashcan down at the base of the sofa, scooped up Harrison and sat him down. She bundled him back up and pushed the glass of water into his hands.

“There you go, bud. Drink up.” She said. “And Max, be less of an asshole.”

“I'll be as much of an asshole as I want, thanks.” Max climbed up on the recliner and laid back.

Harrison set his glass on the coffee table. Beside it, Gwen spotted the remote and switched on the TV. She flipped through channels until the room came to a consensus, sat back and put her feet up. After a minute or two, Harrison adjusted to lean against her side. She smiled softly and patted his head.

Over on his recliner, Max sat back with his arms crossed to cushion his head, fixed on the TV. 

“Hey, get over here.” Gwen snapped her fingers and patted the space on her other side. 

Surprisingly without protest, Max climbed across the chairs to seat himself beside her. They sat quietly watching their movie for a little bit, but of course it’s impossible for quiet to last. It started as just a few snarky comments about the movie from Max at first, evolving to banter between him and Gwen, to the occasional lazy input from Harrison, to not even paying attention to the movie at all and chatting instead.

This was one of those moments Gwen had been thinking about earlier. Something small and nice in the midst of a bigger, shitty situation.

“Y’know,” She said. “If this is being pathetic maybe it’s not  _ so  _ bad.”

“I guess if you have to be pathetic anywhere I’m kinda glad it’s with us.” Max said.

Gwen was lost for a response at first. She twisted to look down at Max, who refused to look back at her. A shit-eating grin spread over her face. She ruffled Max’s hair, grinning wider at his embarrassed response.

“Aw, you little demon, you’re glad I’m here!” She teased.

Max swatted at her, fully ready to retort but interrupted by a burst of confetti suddenly caught in his throat. 

“To be fair, being left alone kind of sucks.” Harrison said. “After my brother disappeared my mom and dad pulled me out of school. They started going out a lot more, but they never got anyone to watch me. I guess they thought, if no one’s around then nothing bad will happen.” 

“I’ll be honest, I kept forgetting what my parents looked like.” Max pounded on his chest. “When they weren’t hitting me around they were off one place or another.”

Gwen felt her heart sink into her stomach. Being not the best with words - particularly the comforting sort - she resorted to tugging the boys closer to her sides and giving them each a tight squeeze. Half-conscious Harrison didn't protest, only pulled his blankets back up around him. Max tensed at the sudden contact, remaining uncomfortably stiff until Gwen glanced down at him.

“You’re good kids, for the most part.” She winked. “Your parents suck ass. But David loves you both a whole hell of a lot. And hey, anytime he can't be there, I will.”

Fully understanding Gwen’s intentions, Max relaxed for a minute. He leaned his head back on Gwen’s shoulder. She ruffled his hair again. It didn't take long for him to shove back away.

“Okay, that's enough of that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gwen is the Cool Aunt....
> 
> A sidenote: don't mind the tag changes too much, it's mostly just referring to personal headcanons I have about the characters that I'm gonna touch on in future additions to this little series. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!! Hit up those comments if you enjoyed! <3


	5. In Which the Boys Stay Up a While

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harrison knew that, given the option, he’d stay with David for the rest of his life. He also knew he didn’t have that option. He was just a temporary guest. He wasn't a Woodall like Max. He was a Schaff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning for this chapter!! 
> 
> It's definitely heavier than the others have been. The boys talk about their families and, well you've read the tags. It's all just referenced and nothing is graphic but just to be safe, proceed with caution!!

The bedroom window was coated in frost. It was cold to the touch and outside the sky was foggy and dark. A thin layer of snow blanketed the grass, growing gradually through the night. Max turned his flashlight in a lazy circle up towards the ceiling. He followed the light with his eyes. Thinking, thinking, thinking. Thinking of a question - something good he could ask his roommate to keep himself entertained.

“Okay, got one.” He pointed the flashlight towards Harrison. “You’re in middle school. You know what boobs look like yet?”

“That’s a dumb question. Of course I do, I have to get rid of my own every couple of months.” Harrison gestured to his own chest. Of course  _ those  _ always came back.

It was cool that he was good enough for Max to forget he had any at all, Harrison thought proudly to himself.

“Oh, that’s right. Alright, fair enough, your turn.” Max said.

“Okay, um… Do you… have any siblings?” Harrison asked.

“Oh my god, and  _ my  _ question was dumb?”

“Well, you know  _ I _ have one, so I mean-”

“No, idiot, I don't have siblings. Probably for the best, my parents only had to deal with me. Can’t say the same for David, though.” Max raised his eyebrow.

“You’re a dick. Take your turn.”

Max had his question fast this time. He shone the flashlight in Harrison’s eyes.

“What’s  _ your  _ family like?” 

The light momentarily blinded Harrison. He flinched back, bonking his head against the wall. He rubbed at his eyes. It took a second for the question to actually register. 

_ What was his family like?  _

It was a good one. Harrison racked his brain, trying to think back before the only thing his mother and father felt towards him was fear. It hadn’t even been that long, a little over a year at most had passed since the incident. He’d learned to get used to the shift in attitude pretty fast. It hadn’t been so bad before, though, he thought. At the very least it was better. 

Eventually he just settled on; “They’re fine. They’re nice.” 

“Bullshit.” Max switched up the brightness of the flashlight. “You wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t bullshit. It’ll suck less the sooner you admit it.”

“They  _ were  _ nice.” Harrison huffed. “Now my parents have a 5-foot-distance at all times rule.”

“‘Cause you abracadabra’d your brother, right?”

Harrison nodded. “Jacob was… he was a… you know, Jacob really sucked, actually. I shouldn’t even feel bad. The couple of times he was nice to me don’t make up for the rest of the time.”

“He ever hit you?” 

“Sometimes.”

The vibe of the room made a noticeable shift. This wasn’t bored kids who didn’t want to sleep keeping each other company with stupid questions anymore. Max looked down at his lap.

“That sucks.” He set his flashlight down beside him, so it shone a still spotlight on the wall across from him. It illuminated the room dimly. “Getting hit sucks.”

Harrison nodded again. Max never sugarcoated what his parents used to put him through. Weeks, sometimes even months of complete solitude with nothing to get by on but what had been left in the fridge. There was hardly any real difference when they’d come back, either, aside from the occasional backhand smack. 

He knew what it was like.

“Whenever our mom and dad were gone he would chase me around the house and yell at me.” Harrison picked at a loose thread on his comforter. “He hated me for faking. Always said it didn’t matter how many spells I did, I’d never actually be his brother.”

“That’s pretty shitty of him.”

“I made his pet rat disappear once, when I was doing a show.” Harrison . “He got  _ super  _ mad. I was hiding in my closet, so my mom and dad wouldn't see my black eye? I wished he would disappear a lot, I didn't think it would actually  _ happen. _ ”

They sat in silence in the cool, dim light for a little while. Eventually, the flashlight ran out of batteries. It blinked, flickered out, and died. The boys were left in the darkness. 

Thinking, thinking, thinking.

“...Harrison?” Max broke through the quiet.

“Max?”

“Your brother sounds like a dick. I’m, uh… I'm sorry. I'm sorry your brother sucks.”

“I'm sorry your parents suck.”

“Whatever. They got theirs.” Max picked up the dead flashlight. He passed it from hand to hand. “If David knew-”

“He doesn’t need to.”

The quiet returned. It seemed there to stay this time. The game was over.

Max laid the flashlight on his nightstand. He scooped up Mr. Honeynuts and, squeezing him to his chest, burrowed down under his quilt. Harrison laid down on his back and stared blindly at the dark ceiling above him. 

He’d be a fool to say what he had now wasn’t better than what he used to have. They’d both be fools. David was good. David always tried his best to be good. David had an endless supply of genuine, unabashed love in his heart, and he never hesitated to show it. David didn’t fear what he couldn’t explain, instead looking to find a way he  _ could  _ explain it.

_ David didn’t hit kids on purpose. _

Max and Harrison both knew this was better than anything else they could have gotten. Max knew that if he’d had any say, he’d have wanted David to raise him from the start. Harrison knew that, given the option, he’d stay with David for the rest of his life. He also knew he didn’t have that option. He was just a temporary guest. He wasn't a Woodall like Max. He was a Schaff.

But that was okay, Harrison figured. So long as he could have this for just a while, he’d be okay. 

“Max?” Harrison whispered into the dark.

“Yeah?” Max’s voice was muffled by his pillow.

“I'm glad that you’re my temporary brother.”

“Blood doesn’t mean shit and neither does the law. I’m your brother if you’re mine. And that holds after you leave.” Max shifted onto his other side. “I didn't say that to anyone but you. No repeating.”

Harrison smiled. “Okay.” 

Outside it was cold. The window was frosty, probably frozen shut by now. Snow flurried about the dark sky, piling up on the ground. But inside it was warm and safe, and Harrison had a brother. One who, at the very least to his face, wasn’t ashamed to call him so. And that was good enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty proud of this one, not gonna lie. Sibling relationships are,,,,important to me. Also yes, in case anyone's unsure, Harrison is a trans boy in this story. He's always been since that's how I headcanon him, I just recently decided to mention it explicitly.
> 
> Thank you for reading!! I hope you guys enjoyed! <3


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